Sorry guys, the chapter I wanted to write the least ended up being the longest lol. I wrestled with myself on how in depth I wanted to go with the detail on this knowing that people have played through this quest a million times.. But finally decided that this story is my own and I'm writing it for me, so I did what I wanted. I hope that you still enjoy it as it is. Also, prepare for a long one, this one might take you a little bit and a LOT happens LOL. Thanks!

I awake to chirping birds and the crackle of dimming flames at my side, my body somewhat cold. Grumbling, I roll to my side and blink away the sleep in my eyes, glancing around the early morning camp in confusion. Huh. I must've fallen asleep after healing Malukh. Speaking of Malukh.. Across the fire, on the other side, he lies asleep on his bedroll, turned to face me. He looks very peaceful in the rising sun.

I sit up feeling much better than I did last night. Did.. did I knock out? It was pretty abrupt so it's a little foggy. I remember.. Malukh just below me, my hands on his face. His eyes closed in a moment of vulnerability as I attempted to heal him. Then, tired, so tired. Wait. Oh my god, did I fucking collapse in his arms?! I gasp into the still morning air and cover my face with my hands, feeling a blush creep up my neck.

Ahhhh! What is wrong with me? I silently scream into my cupped hands. Void take me. How will I face him now?! Seriously, he's probably so weirded out by all my hugging and shit and now this. I really was just trying to heal him, honest! Hell, I don't know what happened myself. The possibilities are endless.

I can cast.. but perhaps it's limited? My magicka pool could be significantly smaller than the average citizen of Tamriel as I'm not a native. Or maybe my thoughts were too jumbled at the time? My understanding of the book not clear enough? My body too exhausted from a day's travel?

Ugh, I don't know. I will have to study hard and learn my limits as I go. Though I definitely rushed myself last night. Maybe a candlelight spell would have been easier to start. But even so, this is fucking fascinating. I'm tempted to try again, though I know Malukh would get angry with me. I can wait until we're free from our contract with the Jarl to fully begin studying magic. And hopefully after this job, I'll have enough gold to maybe chill at an inn for a while and practice more. Depending on if Malukh wants to stay or not…

At this train of thought, I observe my sleeping companion's face. His face, under further inspection, is not fully healed. His black eye is yellowed instead of purple and overall he's less swollen in both his eye and lip, but it's still there. His lip is in the stages of scabbing over, which is better but not what I was going for. I sigh deeply. I can't be too disappointed with myself. Just yesterday I wouldn't have even thought this possible.

I get to my feet and head over to him, sinking into a crouch over his sleeping form. I see that he's got his new warhammer in hand and clutched closely to his chest. That uh.. makes me quite nervous to wake him. He's always ready for anything I suppose. How should I proceed here? I nervously poke at the meaty flesh of his bicep and scoot back with each attempt, afraid he might just wake up swinging.

"Malukh. Malukh! Hey!" Poke, poke. "Hey! We gotta go."

He begins to rouse and grumbles, rubbing at his nose. He blinks tiredly and smacks his mouth, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings. I stare intently at his face, leaning my arms on my knees. When his eyes begin to focus on my face, I give him a cheeky smile, despite how embarrassed I really am from last night. His pupils blow wide suddenly and he recoils in surprise.

Wow. I must be super ugly.

"Gods! Agh.." he calms down as I remain smirking above him, laying flat on his back and running a hand down his face. "What.. I.. fell asleep?"

"Uh.. were you not intending to or something?"

He closes his eyes, appearing mildly frustrated. "I should not have. One of us should remain alert during the night and I was too weak. Tch, we survived well enough, so.. forget it. Come, let us pick up camp and move along." He rolls to the side facing away from me and starts climbing to a stand.

"Oh, uh.. Right." I stand as well, moving to help pack things up but keeping my eyes on the back of his head. "Hey, Malukh, uh.. I'm sorry for last night. I put you in a weird spot again."

Malukh rolls up his bedroll and stuffs it into his arms. "Huh? What, when you fainted?"

"Yeah. I'll.. be more careful from now on." I assure him.

"Perhaps stick to the bow for now?" he suggests offhandedly.

"Probably for the best." I agree and roll mine up as well.

After we pick up camp and set out once again, it's yet another mindless day of walking. It seems that the road to Riverwood is probably one of the safest. Minus that one time we got sacked by bandits, though I'm thinking things of that nature do not happen very frequently in these parts. I'm starting to feel gross and sweaty again, but unfortunately every minute counts this week. Baths will have to wait.

You know, Malukh is surprisingly clean for a medieval man. I have yet to smell any B.O. from him other than his natural scent and he seems to be pretty meticulous in his own self care. I'm rather impressed. His tusks are in fairly good condition as well, despite one side having a small crack. I just hope I'm not smelly either. You can't tell when you're a walking stinkbomb most times.

For the sake of brevity, the third day passes without issue as well, and we arrive to Riverwood fairly early into the evening, around sundown. I let out an audible sigh of relief as the town comes into view. Maybe we can afford a proper meal and a bath. We seem to be making good time. It's been a minute since we last spoke so I decide to comment something cheeky.

"Ah, the town where you and I became like this—" I coo teasingly, crossing my fingers.

Malukh just scoffs, but I see the smile he tries to hide. We cross the bridge and begin making our way into town when he pipes up.

"We cannot stay long. A quick bath and meal and we should begin the trek at once. I will get us some snow gear for the mountain. Come here." he demands and I do so. He turns me around to dig in my pack and I hear the jingle of the coin purse before I see it. "Take a handful for the inn and I will return shortly."

"Oh, no you don't. You're not leaving my sight." The second he closes my pack, I hastily turn around and cross my arms like a disappointed mother.

He furrows his brows. "You said you trusted me not two days ago."

"Yeah, not to kill me!" I cry. "No offense but my ass is on the line too! So, we go together."

Malukh scowls, rolling his eyes. "You have quite a foul mouth for being so pretty."

My brows lift at the unexpected compliment. Taken by surprise, I refuse to let the chance for a snarky comment pass. "Oh? So you think I'm pretty?"

"..Pretty annoying." he finishes and makes towards the Riverwood Trader. I gasp and go to chase after him, exclaiming my disappointment.

"Too late, you already said it. No takesies backsies." I huff, trying to maintain his brisk pace.

He seems even more exasperated with each word out of my mouth. I find it hilarious. He's fun to tease.

"Sometimes I have no idea what you are saying." he grumbles, though I think he got the gist of it if the flush on his cheeks is any indication. "You Cyrodiil natives are so strange."

Oh, yeah. I did say I was from there didn't I? Well, I've been wondering if I should tell him the truth. The real truth. 'I'm from another universe' truth. But I'm not going to unless by some miracle, he decides to stay with me after our contract is over. It's for the best. No matter how close we get, anyone would think I'm crazy for saying something like that. Even Malukh.

We get some cloaks, gloves and blankets for the winter weather atop the mountain and stop by for a meal at the inn, but eventually I find that we're making our way up the hill that leads towards Bleak Falls. The sun has begun to descend past the horizon and the sky is rapidly darkening.

I'm feeling a lot better with a hot meal in me and I think Malukh is as well by the looks of it. He seems a lot more cheerful in general after our talk two days ago. It's kinda nice without him snapping at me all the time and we can even hold conversations, unlike before.

"Going forth, you must keep your wits about you. It is likely we may come across wildlife past this point, or worse. Stay close to me." Malukh warns sternly.

"I'll have no trouble with that~" I coo suggestively, rubbing my arm against his, and he grumbles in annoyance. I see the deeper green flush of his cheeks and snicker. So easy.

The thing is, I know what's coming up. And I'm extremely fucking nervous for it. The bandits and draugr are going to be hell. But after our last encounter with bandits, I find myself much more afraid of them than anything. People are scary as fuck. I sincerely hope I can shoot an arrow at someone when it comes down to it. I've never aimed at a person before and I fear I might choke.

Before I know it, the temperature is shifting, first a chilly breeze then the beginnings of snowfall. I'm quick to distribute cloaks and gloves out of our packs and I fasten mine while we're walking the uneven, harsh terrain that is quickly becoming less and less dirt and more snow. Oh, fuck, it's cold. I've never really been in the snow like this before but I'm already suffering.

I shiver, even with the added warmth of the fur-lined coat I now wear and I see Malukh completely unaffected by this change in environment. He is wearing his cloak now too, though I'm not sure if it's because he's actually cold or because I shoved it into his hands when I got mine. He glances at me and gives me a confused look.

"Aren't you a Nord..?"

"...Shut up." I grumble through chattering teeth.

Before long, I see the bandit tower just over the incline of the hill and my heart picks up. I'm gonna tell Malukh. Just gotta wait so it seems natural. As we get closer and closer, my nerves become more apparent. We get to the highest point on the hill and I barely wait two seconds before I tug at his arm and look up towards him. He pauses and glances at my hands still clinging to his cloak with a surprised face.

"Over there. You see them?" I say over the wind, which has picked up considerably. I point with a hand towards the dark shape of the tower in the distance, though it's easy enough to see with the torches of the bandits.

Malukh looks in the direction I'm pointing and squints. His brows raise and he gives me a semi-impressed look.

"Good eyes." He admires simply. "We will have to take them by surprise. Are you able to fight if it comes down to it?"

I bite my lip. "I've never.. I haven't.." I fumble with the words. "I.. I'm not sure. There's also no saying if I'll even hit or not."

Malukh sighs and turns to face me fully, placing both hands on either of my shoulders. I straighten, surprised by his forwardness. I have a feeling I know what he's going to say. Don't be a little bitch. He leans down slightly to look me in the eyes better.

"Do you remember our last encounter with the bandits?" he asks rhetorically.

I nod, my lips a grim line. God, I'll never forget. A lot has happened this past week that'll be with me forever.

"They will not hesitate. And neither should you. Do not view them as people, but as the scum that they are. These lowlifes do not deserve your empathy. Remember that." He tells me, removing his hands.

Then, he holds his hands out in front of him, just like when we faced the dragon. I know what he wants. I unsling my bow and quiver and hand them over. He takes them and begins to set up his shot.

"Malacath willing, they will not even reach us before they fall to my arrows." His voice is confident, reassuring.

I find my admiration growing for him, more and more. He's so good at this. Far better than I'll ever be. But as I watch him nock an arrow, I'm utterly fascinated by this man before me. He's.. really amazing. Fearless, skilled, dependable. If only I could have an ounce of his confidence.

It's quite far from here. To hit a shot like this will be incredibly difficult. I'm eager to see it though. He takes a breath and draws back, the muscles of his arms that I can see flexing. I try not to drool. I see him adjust several times, but the target he's aiming at is relatively stationary and leaning against a tree casually, so the only challenge here is gauging distance.

One eye closed, he makes the final adjustment and releases. The arrow lets loose with a sharp twang and flies through the air. I hold my breath as I watch it as far as I can track it before it blends into the darkening sky above. I look to the target and seconds later he's impaled right in the chest, effectively pinning him to the tree.

There's a distant shout, the bandit clutching at the arrow lodged into him. Another comes running out of the tower, weapon in hand, looking for us, the attackers. My breath quickens, realizing this is really happening and soon I may have to end a life. Malukh already nocked his next arrow while I was watching the events unfold and I jump when it fwooshes past my ear.

This time, the arrow misses only slightly. Malukh curses something under his breath and goes to nock another. The bandit doesn't seem to see us yet as we're so far away and I sink into a crouch out of fear of being spotted. He's slowly getting closer, he just needs to find out which direction. There's more shouting and it makes my heart race in panic, when suddenly an arrow zooms by, only a couple inches off, landing a couple feet behind in the snow.

"Get behind cover, Sara! Now!" Malukh demands, sounding a bit anxious himself as he lets loose another arrow.

I nod as if he can see me and scurry behind a scattering of rocks a few feet away. Oh fuck. They have an archer too and he's clearly got better eyes than his compatriots. The man pinned to the tree has since removed it, though he's weak and busy tending his wound, collapsing to his knees. The other on the ground is beelining directly towards us, an arrow in his shoulder that Malukh must've hit.

Shit, what do I do? Malukh has the bow! I pat at my hips and feel the sheathe there, the sword unused and eager for blood. If it comes down to it, I'll have to try and fend them off. There's only three and one is badly wounded. If we take out this guy running up, the archer will be the last major threat and we can finish off the injured one on the ground.

Malukh snarls as the bandit gets too close for comfort, throwing the bow and quiver to the floor and unsheathing the massive warhammer off of his back. A few of the arrows begin to slide out and some start to roll down the decline of the hill we're atop of. I make my move and dive for them, plunging my hands and knees into the snow to do so.

The clang of metal on metal is harsh and I feel a pang of anxiety in my gut, but I keep going. I know Malukh can take any of these guys in a one on one. It's up to me to handle the archer while he does. I scoop up the bow and quiver, now a bit damp from the snow and reequip them clumsily. I'm so nervous. It feels like my heart's about to burst like a balloon.

Standing fully, I see Malukh has put the bandit, a Nord by the looks of it, on defense. He's pushing him back with unrelenting blows that the Nord is barely blocking with his shield. Each swing from Malukh leaves a nasty dent and the guy seems to be having difficulty even remaining on his feet.

I look towards the tower. In the dark of the night, I can only see the vague shape of the archer atop the tower. The wind howls as I stand fully and prepare to nock an arrow, my hair whipping around my face and making it a hell of a lot more difficult to see. I'm turning and shaking my head just trying to get it out of the way.

Malukh easily knocks the shield from the Nord to my front right and it goes skidding across the snow.

"Urgh! Gods damn you!" the bandit snarls, though his voice doesn't match the fear clear on his face.

Malukh prowls forward and it's at this time I tear my eyes away to focus on my target. They haven't moved from where they're shooting, and another arrow plunks uselessly to my left. Okay. Don't think too hard. Just shoot.

I close one eye and just aim up in the general direction of the archer. Fuck, I haven't even considered how the wind will affect my shot. This will be near impossible. As long as I keep them distracted, I'm doing my job. Malukh can't kill them if he's being pelted with arrows. I aim slightly more to the right, as the wind is blowing from my right side.

I draw tightly with a sharp inhale and release it, exhaling. I honestly can't even see where it goes, or if it hits its target. So I go right into the next, and the next, sending a flurry of arrows towards where I know the archer to be. It's tiring and quickly making my arms feel like jelly, but I won't stop until Malukh is ready to close the gap between him and the tower.

Malukh catches the bandit off guard by kneeing him in the gut, forcing him to double over with a spluttering cough. Then just as quickly he's got the warhammer raised over his hand in both hands, sending it downwards and slamming straight into the Nord's head. I just try to ignore the gory sounds coming from that direction.

It seems arrows are no longer coming my way. Maybe I hit one of mine? I won't let my guard down for a second though, so I keep shooting. At least until I realize I'm quickly running low on ammo. I reach over my shoulder for another and my fingers skim across the fletchings of the remaining three arrows. Shit, only three? Maybe I should save the rest?

Malukh is advancing now and I decide to follow after him, hopping over the fresh corpse he left behind that is quickly drenching the snow in blood. The first bandit he shot, a bosmer, is not looking too good as it is, laying in a crumpled pile on the floor. Blood is running down his hide armor and unfortunately the arrow pierced right through a section of it that left him exposed.

Malukh hears my approach as he goes to finish him off, readying his weapon for a killing blow.

"Don't look." he commands without looking at me, raising his weapon.

And I don't. I look up towards the tower right above us, finding the archer missing in action. Where have they gone? There's a disgustingly wet crunch that makes me wince and I gulp. Two people, real people.. Dead. There's a pit in my stomach. Malukh grunts from my side, resituating his hammer in his hands. I blatantly avoid looking at the mush that became of that guy's head, instead watching my companion. He looks to me expectantly.

"What of the archer? Did you hit them?" he asks.

I shrug noncommittally, having difficulty looking his direction. "I dunno. Stopped shooting at me and I decided to save the rest of my arrows. Could just be hiding."

"Perhaps you should wait here while I check..?" he says uncertainly.

"I go where you go." I reply firmly, my jaw set. "I don't wanna be out here by myself."

He sighs like a resigned parent giving in to their child. "...Alright. Just keep your guard up and stay close. I believe that is the last bandit."

We climb up a wooden plank overlooking Riverwood and there's no railing on the side, revealing a very, very long fall if one were to make a wrong move. I gulp. I really don't like heights. I cling to the wall, my hands brushing against the chilled stone as I shimmy my way to the top behind Malukh. He is as unbothered as ever and too focused on finding the last bandit.

We enter the main floor of the open-topped tower, lit up in candlelight. Right away, I see red droplets dripping down from the second floor. Blood. No way. I definitely must've hit them then… Malukh turns to hold a silencing finger to his lips and I just nod in silent agreement. We slowly climb up the steps, each creaking under our weight. The shot might not have been fatal. He could probably still fight back.

We finally approach where he was last seen with weapons drawn, my unused sword in hand. I hold it unsteadily in front of myself like I know how to use it. There's more blood and a strange sound coming from the scouting point of the tower, up one short set of stairs. Kind of like.. choking. Immediately, my mind is picturing the worst. Oh, no. I don't think I should go in there.

I stop preemptively at the thought of finding a disgusting sight on the other end, letting Malukh approach without me as I stand watch here. I see him climb up ready to swing, when he sees something and just stops altogether. He looks a bit grossed out by the sneer on his face and the crinkle of his nose.

"..You hit him all right." he informs me loudly, then addresses someone who isn't me. "I will put you out of your misery."

I don't see who he hits with his weapon, only hear their death rattle and see the smattering of blood that sprays out from the blow. My stomach drops, sword lowering to my side as the other hand clutches my roiling belly. Malukh dips down and retrieves something I can't make out until he exits and returns to me. I bite my lip and clutch the hilt of my sword tightly as he comes bearing more arrows taken from the now dead archer, the quiver vaguely stained with bloody fingerprints.

Seeing my disturbed expression, Malukh sighs.

"You did good. You hit a number of arrows from a significant distance in high winds. Be proud." He then thrusts the quiver out towards me, expecting me to grab it.

Even without seeing the body, I feel sick. This.. this sucks. I.. technically killed him. It was my arrows that left him in a bad enough state that even Malukh grimaced. I feel like I might hurl any second. I wince slightly seeing the bloody quiver held out by its strap.

"...That's not what I'm upset about, Malukh.." I murmur, unable to meet his eyes.

"...I know." he answers simply, his voice low. "In time.. it will get easier."

I take the quiver with a bit of reluctance, frowning deeply. "I.. I don't want it to. I don't want this to be normal. I just.. k..killed someone. I.."

At that, he doesn't seem to know how to respond. He goes to pass me, but places a hand on my shoulder for a brief moment before he does.

"...The blood is on my hands, Sara. Mine. And.. I will kill them all if need be."

His words leave me hollow as he pats me one last time, then begins to descend the stairs, and I watch after his retreating back.

I feel.. I don't know how I feel. Of course it's not like how it is in the game. When you're playing, it's so easy to swing a sword at people and end lives, watching them ragdoll to the ground. What do you do when it's real? Real guts, gore, blood and screams? I hate it. I hate that Malukh has killed, can kill.. I wish it didn't bother me as much as it does knowing he's taken lives, even if they were to protect mine. But we are from different worlds and things are not that simple. I can't just overlook it, even if I want to.

I dump the arrows into my own quiver and leave the bloody one behind to be forgotten before following after him. The tower proves to be rather empty besides some basic furniture, so we depart and continue forth to the top of the mountain in relative silence, but not before Malukh steals a torch off of the wall and carries it with us. The cold does little for my rapidly souring mood and I shiver violently as it only gets worse and worse the higher we go. I know we have a lot more to go and frankly I don't know how much more my mind can take of this. There's a handful of bandits ahead, Arvel and the giant spider, then draugr. Just thinking of it makes me want to turn around and hide in Riverwood for the rest of my days.

And Malukh definitely seems to want to return to Whiterun as soon as possible. Instead of resting at the inn until tomorrow, we set out for the barrow today. I get the urgency. Our names and honor are on the line, so yeah, let's do this as quickly as possible. But god, I'm already tired from a day of walking. Now I have to climb a freezing cold mountain and fight bandits in the dark. The torch does little for lighting and the wind is constantly whipping the flames every which way. Ugh.

Eventually, after a solid fifteen minutes of climbing, I see the massive, looming shadow of the barrow. This time, I don't have to warn Malukh of the bandits, for their torches give them away even at this distance. One patrols the outer platform of the barrow torch in hand, the others farther up the stairs. Malukh grumbles under his breath at the sight.

"More? Ugh.. how tiresome. This is going to be tricky. There's no telling how many are up there."

I say nothing, my arms tightly wrapped around myself. I do. But I can't say. And with the way things are going, I have no clue how much of my info is even accurate anymore. I have to play it by ear and stop assuming I know what's going to happen. Shit's real now.

He turns to face me, his expression grim in the firelight from the torch in his hand and his bruised eye and lip more pronounced.

"Are you.." he pauses as he studies my sour expression, trying to word it carefully. "Can you handle this?" he asks seriously.

Seeing his trepidation in addressing me, I feel a hint of sympathy. But.. I just can't be nice to him right now, even if I want to be. All I see are the dark blood stains on his skin, illuminated by the orange of the fire. I see a killer, born and bred. Someone who is accustomed to killing as a way of life.

I just need time to get used to this world, this life. And to get used to him, his nature, his past.. all of it. Because.. There's no saying if I'll ever go home. This is my home now. Malukh is all I have.

Everything takes time.

I meet his gaze with a tinge of discomfort, unable to mask the irritation in my voice. "..Yeah. I want to get this over with."

Malukh furrows his brows, looking like he wants to say more, but lets it go. Part of me is glad for it. "Alright." he replies simply. "Let us go."

Malukh snuffs the fire of the torch in the snow and leaves it there as we move to creep up silently toward the high-raised platform of the barrow and the massive stairs up ahead. I grab my bow and find I'm getting a lot better at handling this. I think I'm even holding it right. I've always focused better when upset.

So, we'll concentrate on shooting arrows at the bandits and pretending that this is normal.

We make our move and I pop off shot after shot towards the platform in the distance with my only concern being hitting the enemies and not hitting Malukh. I feel a painful twist in my gut as I hit a nasty shot on a bandit at the top of the steps and he comes barreling down the entire length of it, stopping at our feet, dead. I force myself to follow after my companion who wastes no time racing up the bloodied steps towards the next targets.

At the top of the first set of stairs, Malukh rushes across the platform to engage a khajiit with a sword and shield, while I go to shoot past them at the archer in the back at the very top by the doors. An arrow actually grazes me this time, shocking me from my detached mental state. I hiss in pain, the arrow zooming past so quickly all I feel is the spark of pain in my left arm rather than seeing it. I recoil and drop the arrow I had ready to shoot. Damn, that shit stings! The burst of adrenaline it gives me is enough to dull the sharp spikes of pain though and allows me to draw another arrow, determined to make this the killing shot.

Your turn, I think darkly as I pull back the string until it's taut against my fingertips. I put all my energy into this one arrow, slowing down to carefully, carefully aim with as much accuracy as I can muster with my unskilled, untrained eye. She is quite far away and a moving target, constantly stepping to the side and back again to throw me off. My arrow is intently trained on her, my breathing slowed as I focus my entire being on putting myself in her shoes. Which way will she move?

Time seems to slow, the clang of metal on metal in my ears. Left.. right, left.. Now! I release, my eyes popping wide as I watch my arrow take to the air with dangerous speed. When I hear the feminine cry of pain, the telltale sign that I hit my shot, my brows shoot up. I did it. I'm seriously getting good at this. I exhale in disbelief somewhat as I watch her dark shape stagger and clutch at her sternum, where my arrow impaled her. She too collapses and rolls down several stairs. Once again, guilt racks my mind.

I'm getting tired of myself. God damn it, Sara, they're bandits! Bandits! They'd kill you in a heartbeat and feel no remorse! Malukh is right, as usual. You know how this world is, you know because you've played this game a hundred times. It's time to get over this useless feeling of guilt. This is not murder. It's not premeditated. That's the difference.

At this time, Malukh overwhelms the khajiit with an impressive, well-practiced maneuver and sweeps their feet out from under them, knocking them straight onto their back. They hiss and hold their shield above them to try and block the incoming blows.

I walk forward as Malukh handles them, towards my target. She's still on the ground, trying to get to her feet but struggling, her bow lost. Her helmet fell off in the fall and has rolled a couple of feet away, abandoned, revealing a shock of black hair.

I approach slowly, readying another arrow. I.. I have to finish this. Me. I won't let Malukh carry the burden on his own. And he would. I know he would. I have to do this.

Her head lifts at the sound of my shoes on the stone, an Imperial by the looks of it, and her expression twists in rage at the sight of me. I see her reach for her waist and unsheathe a small dagger at her hip, the sharp twang of the metal scratching the sheath catching my ears. My heart starts to race. She won't try it. I have an arrow aimed at her heart for God's sake.

To my horror, she somehow clambers to her feet with renewed vigor, even despite the blood dripping down her bare upper chest and the arrow sticking out of her. I pull at the string even harder as she roars fiercely and charges towards me, but I don't release. I can do nothing but freeze in place, my eyes wide as I take in the sight of somebody who really, really wants to kill me. Her face is contorted with absolute rage, dark eyes squinted and mouth wide. My body won't respond, won't let the arrow fly.

"Shoot!" Malukh yells behind me, his voice sounding more panicked than I've ever heard. "Shoot, damn it!"

She's steps away. Steps. I move back just as she nearly bears down on me, when- Fwoop. I release. My fingers, by some miracle, unfreeze. I watch her face go blank as she takes an arrow straight to the heart and dies almost instantly. I see the life leave her. She quite literally collapses on top of me in the momentum of her stride, bringing me down with her weight. I grunt as my bow is crushed to my chest under her body, my hands trapped as well. I feel her twitching and finally, finally awaken from my stupor, a suffocating feeling welling up quickly in my chest. Dead woman on top of me, dead woman- I weakly push at her chest, desperately trying to get her off of me. Blood is dripping onto me, wet and warm, seeping into my armor and the spaces between. Off, off, off get her off get her off of me please please please-

I don't know what happens after that but the corpse is lifted and thrown to the side with a loud sound and there are hands under my arms, lifting me, pulling me up. Hands on my face, warm hands, a deep voice speaking to me. I feel wetness on my cheeks, rapidly cooling with the temperature of the air. The hands wipe away the wetness, brush it away with thumbs. They tilt my head up until I'm looking into the face of Malukh, into sparkly green eyes like stars. My breathing is rapid, heaving, like I can't get enough or maybe I'm getting too much? I try to look down at my violently trembling body but the hands won't let me move my head, won't let me look away.

I'm suddenly crushed to a chest, enveloped in the heat of another and wrapped in burly, strong arms. The ringing in my ears comes to an eventual stop until I can hear the winds again, hear Malukh's voice whispering to me. And I can hear my own sobs. I'm wracked with them, heaving, gasping, gut-wrenching sobs I didn't know I was making. I grab onto him like my life depends on it, like if I let go I'll go flying into space. He clutches me just as tightly and the wind billows around us in the stark darkness of the night.

I don't know how long passes where we remain like that, his hand soothingly running along my hair in repeated motions until I slowly but surely come back to myself. I.. I almost died right then, didn't I? It was her or me. Why couldn't I just shoot? My gut heaves as the scent of emptied bowels fills my senses from the two bodies around us, and the urge to vomit hits me quickly. I hastily pull away from Malukh to double over and hurl my lunch onto the stone, the uncomfortable feeling of it being forced back out the way it came coupled with the burning of stomach acids in my throat forcing fresh tears into my eyes. I cough harshly as Malukh pats my back soothingly.

Once my stomach is fully emptied and nothing but bile comes up, it seems my body is finally done torturing me. I take in gulps of air and right myself, wiping at the back of my mouth with a glove.

"Are you alright?" I hear Malukh ask above me.

Now with the adrenaline gone, I also notice the pain I'd been able to ignore until this point and wince, a short hiss escaping my lips. I feel the intense burning pain that is emanating from my arm, my right hand reaching over to cover it. Shit, I got hit. That's not good… Malukh steps forward to investigate my obvious discomfort, his brow furrowing deeply when he realizes that I am in fact wounded.

"You are injured?" he growls in displeasure, moving to grab my arm. I wince slightly as he pulls me towards him by the elbow to look at it more closely.

I'm silent, feeling so extremely and terribly ashamed that I can't muster any words at all. My face burns with mortification. How can I bear to look at him after such a pitiful display? This is the worst day ever. Long and boring, until I started killing people and guilt began to eat me alive, then I almost die for no reason and cry like an absolute baby in the arms of my begrudging companion who likely wants to do anything but comfort me. And I puked in front of him. That's so not sexy. I sniffle harshly as he moves my arm every which way and sighs.

"Just a flesh wound." he sounds relieved. "A potion will seal this right up."

I don't look at him, don't respond. I just can't bring myself to. I only hear him shuffling and see the pack come into view as he digs through it for the potion. A small red vial is shoved into my chest and my right hand moves to take it automatically. I glance up, but seeing his face, I immediately tear my eyes away and focus them on the potion. I quickly uncork it and knock it back so he doesn't yell at me. The metallic taste is the last thing on my mind and for once, the orgasmic sensation never comes. My thoughts are too clouded, too chaotic. I put the empty bottle into my pack when I'm done and feel rather than see the wound seal shut, the pain but a memory.

There's an awkward silence, mostly because of me. What do I say? What do I do? We aren't even close to being done with this mission yet I feel on the brink of a mental collapse.

"..Are you alright?" he asks again, testing the waters. His hand hovers near my face, but refuses to make contact. "I feared the worst. If you had not made the shot.."

My lip trembles with emotion. I worried him again. Hell, I worried myself. I feel.. mortal. Fragile. Weak.

"I'm.. okay." my voice sounds terrible to my own ears, scratchy and hoarse. My throat burns as I speak.

His hand lowers and clenches at his side, both of them balling into fists. I suddenly realize that he's actually still quite upset, just hiding it well. My gut sinks. Ah, the tears merely softened the blow that's coming. He's definitely not happy with my little display. I knew he was being far too nice...

"What were you thinking?" his voice is strained now, anger seeping into his words. "It is us or them, Sara. You cannot hesitate. Must I watch you like a hawk at all times to ensure your safety? Hold your hand through every encounter?"

At this, I wilt like a dying flower, curling further into myself. I wrap my arms around my torso to defend against the chill creeping back into me as I pointedly avoid his burning stare. He often reminds me of a parent scolding their child. When I say nothing, grimacing uncomfortably at the tension, he sighs deeply.

"Sara."

Malukh's deep, gravelly voice shakes me from my jumbled thoughts and against my will, I look up at him again. The split lip looks much more chapped in the cold and his arms are crossed as he stares down at me with eyes that are far too knowing. It makes me wince. It bothers me that I did something to make him upset. I'm pissed at myself too.

"Do you need to wait here while I get the stone?" he asks again. My brow immediately furrows at the suggestion and he's quick to continue. "I worry for your mind. It is clear that you have not braved this kind of life before and I can be in and out before morning."

The retort is on the tip of my tongue faster than I can think, pushing past my desire to remain silent. "No. You need me."

His eyes narrow, genuinely confused. "Why? There is no need to put you through further stress." he pauses, a frown crossing his lips. "It.. it hurts me to see you like that. And I do not desire to put you in harm's way any longer."

His words make my gut twist. It hurts him? Why does knowing that make my stomach flutter with butterflies? I try not to think about it. Right now, I need a clever lie. I could just tell him how to solve the puzzles and then it wouldn't really be necessary for me to go.. but I'll be damned if I let him go in alone. Imagining him being cut up in one of those axe traps makes me ill.

My voice is hoarse and a bit pathetic as I speak. "I've studied these kinds of ruins back in Cyrodiil. I used to do a lot of reading because I .. didn't go out much. But these places typically have lots of puzzles and traps. I know what to look out for and how to get past a certain wall that only these ruins have. Just trust me, okay? I'll.. I'll get it together." I finish weakly, looking down at his feet.

There's a brief silence as he takes in my words and weighs them, the only sound being the softly howling wind around us. I hear him sigh deeply and his hand pats the top of my head.

"...You are determined to see this through, then?" he asks.

I meet his gaze finally under the weight of his hand and reply unflinchingly. "If it means earning your freedom. Our freedom."

He makes an expression I can't quite place but his throat bobs as he pulls his hand away. He turns from me, running a gloved hand down his face and grumbling something I can't quite make out. "Agh.. you'll be the death of me, woman…"

"Huh?"

"Er.. let us press on."

The inside of the barrow is significantly warmer than the outside, despite the gaping hole in the top of the chamber letting in moonlight and frigid winds. I sigh in relief as we somewhat escape the chill, but the relief is short-lived. Already I see the bandits ahead, sitting around their small campfire trying to stay warm. They are chatting, oblivious to our entry somehow despite the giant, loud ass doors Malukh had to drag open.

Malukh and I stealthily creep behind a stone pillar, having to step around a random corpse and some skeevers just lying on the floor. I grimace at the sight and smell of them. We put our backs to it as we look at each other.

"You take the one on the right. I will sneak up to the one on the left. Wait for my signal." he commands in a whisper.

Nodding, I gulp as I prepare mentally to make yet another shot. I'm still not all that confident in my aim despite my success so far and if I miss this one it could be bad. I nock an arrow and slide out from behind the pillar to get ready to aim at the bandit on the right, a fair-haired woman sitting on her knees atop her bedroll.

I wait for Malukh to creep up as close as he can, hiding behind another large pillar just in front of the bandits. He's facing me, our eyes locked in a heated moment. I take aim, going for the center of her and hoping I hit some part of her. The worst that could happen would be that I hit Malukh here. I pray to all the Aedra I don't miss.

Malukh nods at me, his hammer clutched in hand, before he rounds the pillar with a thunderous roar. The bandits jump in shock, gasping as they turn to look at my companion seconds too late.

I loose the arrow somewhat delayed in my nervousness and watch it hit my target in the left arm. She falls to her side in surprise with a yelp as I begin to approach, nocking another arrow while Malukh bears down on the unprepared male counterpart. The man barely has time to stand and doesn't make it to his weapon in time to try and block the heavy blow Malukh sends his way. The hammer slams upwards into his gut, sending him crashing backwards into the campfire set up behind him.

I gasp as the man is fully engulfed in flames, his fur armor almost instantly catching fire. His screams echo around the cavernous walls. I shoot another arrow at the woman unsuccessfully trying to climb to her feet and thankfully manage to sink one into her torso. She roars with pain and rolls to her uninjured side, though Malukh is already on her. He stands directly over her and crushes his hammer right into her face, leaving her head reminiscent of a smashed pumpkin.

My eyes are drawn to the burning corpse in the flames as I close the remaining distance. I can't help noticing it smells like cooking chicken in here. Ugh. Malukh quickly ushers me past the bodies, almost like he's afraid I'm going to flip my shit if I stay around them too long. There is a chest that I stop to loot, however. Not even my disgust with the bodies can stop my insatiable desire for treasure.

I groan when I find that it's locked. I have to fish through my pack for some lockpicks all the way back from Helgen while Malukh patiently waits at my side. I only snap a handful of them in my attempts, but I hear a soft click that tells me I succeeded. Yes!

Opening the latch and thrusting it open, I'm happy to find it's got a few nifty things inside. There's a good amount of gold that I'll count later, but for now I dump them by the handful into my pack with Malukh's help. I also nab a spellbook I can't decipher by just looking at it yet and a pretty circlet with three dark green gems embedded into it. I thrust them into my bag as well. There's also an amulet, one that I can't quite remember which God it's for. I hold it up in the firelight to examine the round, golden symbol with a blue gem in the center.

"Huh. Hey, do you know what this is?" I stand up and hold it out for Malukh, who takes it wordlessly.

As he's examining it, I see his eyes widen slightly. A weird expression crosses his face, something between embarrassed or uncomfortable. He hands it back to me, avoiding my questioning stare. Then he mumbles something so lowly I can't even hear him.

"..What?"

"An.. an amulet … of Mara." he grumbles.

Oh. Oh. That's why he's being all weird. I examine it a little bit more and hum to myself. What did they do again? I know the amulets all have some kind of magical property to them but I can't quite remember. I slip it over my neck and feel it's weight against my chest, shooting a shy look at Malukh as I then flip my hair out from under it. They're also a way to show that you're single and ready to mingle here in Skyrim. I wonder what he thinks?

He watches me do this and stands up straighter, his brows rising. I try not to notice his interest as I turn wordlessly to continue down the hall. If I were in a better mood, I would tease him. But as of right now, I can't even muster a smile. Not with these dead bodies not ten feet away.

We proceed down a lengthy, winding, web and vine-covered hallway that ends with us watching a bandit get pelted with poison darts and crumple to the ground. The two of us cautiously step into the room with the first puzzle, the three stones. I've memorized this one by heart after years of playing: snake, snake, whale. I don't even need to look at the stones.. but I put on the show of doing so anyway.

"A puzzle." Malukh grunts, scanning the room.

"It should be fairly simple. Just have to match the corresponding stones with the ones we see there." I reply, pointing towards the platform overhead.

One bit of the three pillars overhead had collapsed to the floor, seemingly the center piece of the puzzle, but was still readable. I try to adjust the stones myself, though I end up having to get Malukh to move them as they're just too heavy for me. I instead opt to be the one to pull the lever, despite Malukh's warnings to be careful. Hmph. He has no faith.

I yank it as hard as I can, the somewhat old stone grinding as it goes and we watch the gate opposite of us rise with a clank. I smirk, gesturing toward it with a flourish.

"See!" I exclaim proudly. "Easy."

Malukh chuckles and joins me at my side, patting my head. "Impressive, little one."

I find that I've started looking forward to his praise, his headpats, his.. touch. Ahem.

We proceed into the next chamber and I scrounge quickly through the loot on the table. A soul gem, a dusty old book, ooh, a handful of gems varying in color. These'll get us some nice prices at the Riverwood Trader hopefully.

Malukh leads the descent down the spiral staircase and takes out a handful of skeevers on his own before we head further into the barrow. That skeevy dunmer is up ahead. And even worse.. the spider. That S.O.B is huge and I don't handle bugs very well even when they're smaller than my pinky nail. I pray Malukh will handle it with ease.

"Is... is someone coming? Is that you Harknir? Bjorn? Soling?" cries a desperate voice bearing the Dunmeri accent from the next chamber over.

Malukh perks up at this, more from caution than anything, and readies his hammer, while I absently nock an arrow. Webs cover almost everything in sight and I grimace as we have to wave away the sticky material from our faces. Ew, ew, ew… What if there are little mini regular spiders in these?

We approach the doorway sealed with thick, white webbing and pause. Malukh groans in irritation, likely at the fact that he's going to have to saw through it. I watch him look around briefly before his eyes lock onto a torch, and he yanks it from its sconce. He holds the flame to the webs and they melt away, turning black and dropping to the floor. It honestly takes a while for a good portion to get burned away, and the whole time Arvel is just bitching and crying from the other side. Can hardly blame him though what with the giant spider looming over him.

Malukh gets tired of waiting and scoots me out of the way so he can smash through it in earnest. A few heavy hits from him and there's a sizable enough hole for us to sneak through. I am less than eager to step through, the stringy webs now sticking to my leathers upon entering the cave. I look up to the massive hole in the top of the room, though no light comes through, making it far more eerie knowing that creature is hiding up there. Cocoonified corpses line the floors and egg sacs sit in various corners of the room, likely filled to the brim with little baby spiders. I shiver at the thought.

Arvel's voice rings out again. "Don't let it get me. Help! Agh, not again! No! Aaaaaah!"

"It" makes itself known, the spider descending from its nest by a web. Malukh and I look up in horror as all eight beady eyes lock onto us, a mass of legs and fuzzy hair. Oh, oh my god, it's so big. How is it almost as big as the fucking dragon? I step back and for the first time I almost just straight up turn tail and run away. Bugs, I can't do. Not at all. They make my skin fucking crawl just knowing they're in the room with me. It's like a million tiny spiders are on my skin.

I back up as much as I possibly can as Malukh rushes towards it, swinging like a gods damned maniac. I manage to get enough courage to shoot an arrow and with the target being so big, It's near impossible to miss. The arrow sinks into one of its many eyes. I itch all over. Don't think about it, don't think about it.

It's over pretty quickly. All in all, it's still just a spider and Malukh is ridiculously strong. By the end of his assault, it's a pile of broken legs and squashed eyeballs. But then Malukh falls to a knee, shocking me from my fear induced stupor. Wait, huh?! Did he get bit or something?

"Malukh?!" I cry as I race to his side while unequipping my bow until I'm standing over him with a hand supportively placed on his shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong?"

It doesn't help that the nasty body of the spider is right in front of us, resting over a grate in the floor of the center of the room, making me absolutely sick. He's panting heavily, his eyes unfocused as he just stares forward and leans his weight on his warhammer, which is placed firmly against the ground. He grunts in pain, his veins bulging hard in his neck. He's also covered in a sticky, green ichor.

"Hey!" Arvel screams from behind the spider. "Are you still there? Help me, damn it!"

"Shut up!" I bite back frustratedly.

Seeing Malukh like this stresses me out in a way I was not expecting. I get to my knees beside him and put a hand on his face. He's broken into a cold sweat, his breathing labored. Shit. Poison? I drop my pack into my lap and scramble for a health potion. God, I hope this works. We don't have anything else.

I uncork it as I speak to him. "Hey, I need you to drink this, okay?"

I put the red vial to his lips and try to tilt his head back a little with my other hand on his neck. His eyes fall shut as the liquid enters his mouth and gets to work, some dribbling down the sides of his lips. He winces, then sighs in relief, then kind of.. moans. I ignore the sensuality of it for his sake.. And mine. I lower the bottle from his mouth when it feels mostly empty, then wipe the corners of his mouth. I also do my best to get some of this gooey shit off of him despite how gross it feels to touch.

"Malukh? Speak to me, man." I plead softly, continuing to wipe his face of sweat and goop with the back of my hand. I wipe it off on my leathers afterwards.

"Unh.. thought.. my heart would stop." he breathes out, eyes fluttering open to land on my face. He looks dazed. "Hey.."

"..Hey." I smile somewhat fondly. Thank God it worked. "Can you stand?"

He nods disorientedly and uses his hammer as a leverage to get up, with my added assistance. This adventuring shit is fucking dangerous. Holy fuck. This is one dungeon and we're only halfway through. He and I carefully step around the spider's carcass and come to stand in front of Arvel the Swift, encased entirely in webbing. He wiggles violently, grunting with each twist of his torso.

"Get. Me. Out!" he yells with shut eyes, oblivious to our proximity.

I glare daggers at him. "Oi. We're standing two feet away from you, bud."

He gasps, his eerie red eyes popping open. "Oh, by Arkay, I'm saved! Quick, cut me down before anything else shows up!"

I hold an arm out to stop Malukh from helping him, not that he even moves to do so. He's still out of it, likely recovering from the poison. I then cross my arms over my chest.

"Not so fast. You wouldn't happen to know about the break-in at the Riverwood Trader, would you?" I say with knowing eyes.

He sputters, a look of displeasure crossing his face. "W..What?"

I roll my eyes. "The Golden Claw. Where is it?"

He looks at me appraisingly, judging me. I quirk a single brow as if to say Well? His lips thin into a grim line, realizing his new predicament.

"What happened to Harknir? Bjorn? Soling?"

"Those bandits outside? Dead. Part of your little thieving gang, I assume?" I look at Malukh and raise my brows in question. "What do you wanna do with him?"

It's at this time that Arvel really looks at my companion in all his seven foot glory, dragging those red eyes up the torso of Malukh in growing fear. He starts wiggling ferociously, screaming.

"No! Help! Help me, someone!" he shrieks.

I groan in annoyance at the shrillness of his cries as Malukh slowly turns and guides me a couple of feet away, a firm hand on my shoulder. Gazing up into his face, I notice the sweat beading on his brow and his still somewhat labored breathing. Huh. The potion worked didn't it? Why does he still seem so.. well, not good?

"You.. You want me to deal with him?" Malukh asks somewhat out of breath.

"Hmm. Maybe we should cut him free and see what happens? He might run through all the traps for us." I suggest lowly.

Malukh smirks slightly, tapping me on the brow with his index finger. "I like your thinking. Stay back in case he tries to attack. I will handle him if he is foolish enough to try. Here, let me borrow your sword."

I smile back at him before I go to take my sword out of its sheath and hand it over by the pommel. He takes it and approaches the spindly little man as I peek out from behind Malukh to look at him.

"Okay. Let's play a little game called… How fast can you run? My friend here will cut you down and you will run for your life while we try to catch you. Get ready."

Obviously I don't plan to harm this man at all. Only scare him into the barrow so that the draugr take care of him for us. He is a bandit after all, so I don't feel very badly for him. Malukh saws away at the webs with my sword while Arvel whimpers pathetically from beneath him, trying to lean as far away from my companion as possible.

"You people are mad! Mad, I tell you!" he cries.

Malukh just snorts. Eventually the webs begin to loosen after minutes of awkward, uncomfortable sawing and Arvel's expression is painfully anxious. Then, all at once he drops to the floor, landing on his hands and knees with a grunt. There's a clank and a faint scratching sound; the golden claw hitting the floor with him.

He panics, his eyes darting to us and the claw before he scoops it into his arms with wild eyes.

"Fools! Without this you'll never get through the Hall of Stories!" he barks, clambering to his feet. "The treasure will be mine alone!"

Malukh and I watch him take off down a corridor, listening to his retreating footsteps and frantic breathing.

"You sure it was alright to let him take that thing?" Malukh asks from my left, holding my sword out to me.

I chuckle knowingly and take it from his hands to sheathe it at my waist. "Don't worry. I think it'll be in our hands very soon."

We carefully follow after his trail, descending through a rather narrow dirt pathway before it widens out into a larger hall. I manage to nab a soul gem off the altar in the center before we head down a flight of stairs and I realize with a jolt of clarity that we are now in the draugr crypts. The one at the end of this corridor is missing, likely arisen to chase after our buddy Arvel. In my nerves, I grab Malukh's forearm as we venture slowly through the dimly lit chamber, ignoring the look he sends my way. Yeah, I'm scared, what about it?

I uncomfortably observe all the withered corpses lining the walls, some buried in tombs, some wrapped, some just naked. The musty scent does not go unnoticed either.

"These things can come to life… be careful." I whisper. Malukh grunts his response.

There's inhuman noises up ahead, guttural growls and moans as well as Arvel's screams echoing throughout the chamber. Oh god. Real zombies. There's a loud sound and some clanking as we finally come to the center of the room, revealing two draugr standing awkwardly around the now impaled corpse of Arvel, who is stuck to the spikes of the wall trap. The claw has dropped at his feet. It seems the bandit managed to take one of the creatures out with him though to my surprise.

Malukh growls and unsheathes his weapon, wasting no time in rushing forward to engage the undead. Hearing the clank of his armor, they turn and snarl inhumanly, readying weapons of their own. The fight is quick as both of them gang up on my companion, leaving me ample room to flank and send arrow after arrow into their hides until they are both dead on the floor, extinguishing the blue lights of their eyes. Whatever unholy magic binding them to this plane is finally removed.

Malukh huffs with exertion at my left, sweat dripping down his brow. I turn to eye him suspiciously, quirking a brow.

"Are you alright?" I ask.

"..Huh?" he grunts absently. "..Yeah. Fine."

I narrow my eyes. He better not be doing the I'm a strong orc male, I don't need help thing while he's actually, in fact, not okay. I better keep a close eye on him.

We go to retrieve the claw, stepping around the very obvious stone plate with a symbol on it that screams trap trigger. Malukh chuckles at the sight of it. "If all the traps are this obvious, I see nothing to worry about."

We clear another chamber of draugr, putting us right in front of the next trap: the swinging axes. They grind against the stone with each pass, causing a loud sound to emanate through the corridor. Malukh and I stand in front of it and with one look at his weary face, I realize I will have to brave the blades.

"The lever to stop it is on the other side. I'll be the one to cross.." I tell him, though I'm clearly lacking confidence.

My words seem to jolt him from his poison-induced stupor, because his eyes pop open wide suddenly. "..What?! Is there no other way?"

I fold my arms. "Unfortunately, no."

"I will do this task, then." he replies, already moving to begin his attempt.

I cast a hand out and grab his elbow, tugging him back. He glances at me and I pin him with my stare. "No. You are in no condition to do so with that poison still affecting you. And I'm small, I can fit in the gaps. Just.. trust me. I'll be fine."

Malukh growls and pulls his arm away, but he steps back regardless. I can tell he's frustrated with his own state of being right now, too. But I am right for once, there's no denying that.

"Be careful." he warns gravely, definitely not pleased that I'm doing it in his stead. Whether it's because he feels weak or because he cares that I'm doing it is uncertain.

I take a deep breath and prepare myself for possible death and dismemberment. It's all about the timing. Here goes. I wait for the moment all the blades slide into the wall at once and force myself to dive forward. I huff as I stop in the first spot, feeling and hearing the blades swing past me both in front and behind. Okay, good, good. One, two, three. I somehow clear the 2nd and 3rd set of axes, putting me safely on the other side, though I'm shaking like a leaf as I pull the heavy chain to stop them. The ceaseless grinding finally comes to a stop, allowing Malukh to quickly cross over and join me. He seems relieved as he places a hand on my shoulder.

"Nice work." he smiles and I return it with a flustered blush.

"Haha..t-thanks. Come on, hopefully we're almost to the dragonstone. I can't wait to get out of here."

The next portion of the dungeon passes smoothly, costing me only a handful of arrows, a small price to pay. We also have to pass another blade trap, which is a bit more dangerous as there are enemies on the other side this time. Malukh refuses to let me do it, instead pushing past me before I can even try. He clears it well thankfully and we engage the draugr, then proceed on. Until finally, finally we open a set of double doors revealing a long hallway that ends with the Wall of Stories.

As Malukh and I approach, I begin to carefully remove the claw from my pack, earning a curious glance from my partner.

"So, an interesting thing about these little claws here…" I say, flipping it over to look at the three animals inscribed on the underside. Bear, Moth, and Owl. "Certain Nordic tombs require one of theseto get past these walls." We come to a stop in front of it just as I say the words, gesturing with my free hand.

"Without one, there's no moving forward. Hence, the dark elf guy stealing this thing in the first place. See here," I then run my index finger along the inscriptions, showing Malukh. "—These are the matching symbols we will need to open the door. If you would like to do the honors."

I pointedly look towards the door and back at him with a cheeky smile. Malukh chuckles lowly, sheathing his weapon fully as he dutifully follows my order.

"Quite the researcher, aren't you? Had no idea you were such a scholar."

"You'll find I'm full of surprises." When he reaches the front of the door and turns to look at me while waiting for the inscriptions, I send him a wink.

He scoffs somewhat jokingly, raising a hand towards the outer ring, the one at the top.

"Bear."

He grunts as he slides his hands along it, the stone moving with. He has to flip it twice.

"Moth."

Same thing. I already know you just move them all twice but hey, I shouldn't.

"Owl."

Finally, the symbols all slide into place and spin, forcing Malukh to step back in surprise. It jerks, once, twice, grinding noisily as it does, little bits of gravel and pebbles falling to the floor. Then, it sinks into the floor beneath, likely to remain that way forever. I think? I dunno really.

"I .. suppose you were right. I could not have done it without you." Malukh says, looking past the door in awe. His eyes slide to me, and my heart swells at the smile he's giving me. "Good work, Sara."

I blush hotly. "It's nothing really, haha. Just.. a bit of a nerd, I guess."

He quirks a brow. "A… nerd?"

"Err.. nevermind."

We proceed past the doors together, admiring the sight before us. A colony of bats flutter past us, disturbed by our sudden entry and I gasp in surprise, accidentally bumping into Malukh's side. Shit, just like in the game! I should've expected that. I realize suddenly that his arm wrapped around my shoulders in the moment and blush even more, if that's even possible. I step away and he clears his throat.

We cross a small bridge over a small river and head up the platform to the Word Wall carefully, though I don't hear any Nordic chanting in my ears despite us getting closer and closer.

"Amazing…" Malukh whispers at my side, more to himself than me.

"Careful. I have a bad feeling.."

And that bad feeling is resting right in that coffin with our dragonstone. Regardless of my worry, Malukh and I approach the wall, covered in various dull words in the dragon tongue. I step right up to it and feel… nothing. No wisps of blue energy seeping into me. No voices. Nothing. Maybe… Malukh? I turn, staring at my companion with suspicious eyes. He's running a hand along the stone, his mouth slightly agape as he takes it in.

"So..uh, do you.. sense anything?" I ask carefully. He won't know shit about the dragons, or the Dragonborn.

"Mm.. no?" he breathes. "Do you know what this is, with all your research?"

I step back slightly, a bit disappointed. Well, I guess that really, truly proves that neither of us are the Dragonborn. That same feeling of defeat floods me once again, of uselessness and being lost. I sigh.

"..Yes. It's a Word Wall, commonly—" the sound of stone on stone catches my attention and I gasp, the words dying on my tongue. "Malukh!"

"Curses!" he growls, drawing the warhammer from his back.

The top of the tomb slides off and hits the ground with a heavy thud, a cloud of dust rising from where it lands before a leg slings itself over the ledge, then another. I hastily draw my bow and reach for an arrow as a draugr, much larger than all the rest, climbs from its coffin with a disturbing, unholy snarl. The chilling blue eyes slide my way, peering through me and sending a shiver up my spine.

This one is different. Something about it... My thoughts are disrupted. Malukh goes to charge, but before he can reach it the draugr opens its foul mouth, the jaw practically unhinging like a snake—

"F U S—"

A blast of raw power with a blue tinged aura comes barreling towards us, strong enough to send Malukh's feet skidding backwards as he braces against it with a grunt. As for me… it hits me, almost passing through my very being, and I slam into the stone of the Word Wall behind me with a cry.

Ah. This one Shouts.

Malukh snarls, his eyes drawn by my voice. "Sara!"

I grimace, pain surging through my head and back, but I try to nock an arrow anyway. "Nngh..G..Go!"

He nods with resolution at my direction, though just as he turns, it's right there waiting for him, having closed the distance in his moment of weakness. Shit, Malukh! I draw an arrow, but … it's too late.

I can only watch as its black, Nordic sword plunges into his lower gut, right where his armor ends.

My breath stops, my heart sinking into the pit of my stomach. Malukh spits blood, his eyes impossibly wide. The creature laughs, the sound chilling my very core as I stand frozen in shock. It pushes him off the blade, the weapon pulling free with a sickening tearing sound as Malukh yells in agony. He collapses to a knee, already weakened from the poison. Malukh's weapon falls loudly to the floor, leaving him defenseless.

"Malukh!" I scream in absolute horror, the sound echoing throughout the entire cavern. Bats awaken at my call and flutter through the hole in the top of the ceiling.

No, no, no…

No!

I drop my bow, rather, throw it harshly to the side, all my fears forgotten. He's going to die! I grab my sword by the hilt and draw it sharply from its sheath, my back muscles screaming with the movement as I break into a run.

It's my turn to save you, Malukh. Just hold on!

I roar with more rage than I've ever felt, more determination and hatred, all morphing together to give me godlike courage as I close the distance between the Draugr Lord and myself.

All I see are the glowing blue eyes as I swing towards it with all that I have.